For Honor Legacy
by DareDreamer
Summary: Based on the hit Ubisoft game, see through the eyes of history's greatest warriors locked in a desperate struggle for territory and survival.
1. Prologue

Blackstone Fortress

6 years ago

Ashfeld

If there was one thing Takashi wanted, it was to be remembered. He had spent the last 3 years rotting in a cell in Koto's lower city for speaking out against the Emperor of the Dawn Empire. When he was freed by his friends Ayu, Okuma and Momiji, the city was under attack by Vikings. The trio had fended off the assault, only to be attacked again by Knights of the Blackstone Legion and their fierce warlord Apollyon. Apollyon had killed the Emperor and had offered one of the Daimyos a chance to take his place. One of them, Seijuro, accepted the offer and became the new Emperor. For those who did not accept, they were either killed or put in a test to hunt and kill the other Daimyos which, unbeknownst to them, would start a civil war with the Samurai. Ayu had stopped this from happening. She and Takashi had then infiltrated the Imperial Palace and stopped Seijuro, offering him a second chance.

Takashi and Momiji then traveled to Ashfeld, home of the Knights. There, they had made an alliance with the Iron Legion and their commander, Raxon, now their "Lord Warden". Now both sides were at Apollyon's front door. Takashi had made it through the fort's defenses and was now face-to-face with Apollyon herself… "Finally," Apollyon said after noticing the Orochi. "The Dawn Empire has arrived." "Yield," Takashi said, trying to intimidate her. "Face justice." Apollyon drew her sword. "I'll pass." He drew his katana and attacked. She was stronger than he had expected, but was quicker and more agile. They blocked, parried and struck at each other as they moved through the castle. Whenever a Blackstone Knight tried to slaughter the Samurai, he would cut it down a few swift strokes. BOOM! Suddenly, a fireball from a catapult slammed into a wall, knocking Takashi off balance. He would have to exceed himself. Apollyon retreated to the walls as Takashi chased after her. "Your rot will be cleansed from this land!" he shouted. "Death waits for us all." Apollyon stated. "A warrior is someone who does not let that stop them from doing what needs to be done. Come, warrior." The two clashed again and again, dodging debris from the collapsing structure. Finally, Takashi let out a battle cry as he slashed Apollyon's chest, making her collapse.

"It's over, Apollyon." He sheathed his katana. "We will have peace." Apollyon chuckled as she gripped the railing of the castle banister. "Peace? So…what happens now?" She said weakly as she threw her sword over the edge. "You all just…go home? You came into my home. And you brought your armies. What did you think would happen? Peace? That isn't how the world works." Takashi heard a loud crashing sound and peered over the banister. Vikings were pouring into the fortress! And even worse the Iron Legion and the Dawn Empire were fighting each other and the Vikings! "Don't speak to me of your virtues." She said. "Duty. Kinship. Honor. You've forgotten what you are." Takashi's eyes widened as he realized the truth. "You want war. Only war." Apollyon laughed. "All I want is for you to admit what you are. All of you." She pointed at him. "My…wolves." She let go of the banister and collapsed. Takashi looked at the horrible scene below him. Apollyon was dead…but now a new conflict had begun.

"You know the rest." Ayu spoke, concluding her story. "Seven more years of bloody war…" Holden Cross sighed. "Apollyon played us all, one against the other." Stigandr growled. "For what?" "To weed out the weak." Holden answered. "Why did you call us here, Cross?" Ayu asked curiously. "I didn't. I was sent by the new Lord Warden. To make amends." "HOW DARE YOU?!" Stigandr roared, punching Holden in the jaw. The Viking picked up a dagger. "THOUSANDS OF MY PEOPLE, DEAD!" Holden smirked. "Well, here's your chance for vengeance." Ayu stood up. "We shared our stories, like your 'Lord Warden' requested. Now, why are we here?" Holden got to his feet, rubbing his jaw. "Peace." "Peace?" Ayu answered. Stigandr huffed. "Even if it were possible, we're no peacemakers." "Is it an unworthy goal?" Ayu asked him. "Well… no…but…" he said, unsure of how to reply. Then suddenly, he realized what this meant. "Is…this how it starts?" Holden and Ayu joined him, looking at the sunset. "It would have to start with us." Ayu announced. "We will die in this attempt. You know that." Holden told him. "But it would make a worthy tale." Stigandr answered, with both Knight, Viking and Samurai concluding their meeting. The Faction War had begun.


	2. Heart of Steel

Month 2 of the Faction War

Iron Legion Stronghold

Ashfeld

Quinn had only heard tales of how the war began with the death of the warlord Apollyon. She and her Blackstone Legion had fallen. But now the Iron Legion was at war with both the Vikings of the Warborn Clan and the Samurai of the Dawn Empire. Quinn was a Warden. Or, at least, he would be. Only a few Knights would be able to join the Wardens, yet Quinn was not surprised of how many there were. He was in the training yard of the castle, ready for his final test. To fully become a member of the Iron Legion, he had to fight and defeat Raxon, the Lord Warden and one of the Legion's commanders. To Quinn's left, a Conqueror was attempting defensive training with a captain. To his right were archers shooting at training dummies shaped like Vikings. The duel rules were simple. Whoever won 3 rounds (out of 5) would be victorious.

"Will the recruit please step forward." A male voice said. Quinn gasped. The Lord Warden himself! He took a few paces towards him. "Let us see if you are worthy to be one of us." Raxon said, posing in the right guard position. Quinn donned his helmet and drew his sword. Both knights charged at each other. Quinn slashed, blocked and parried attacks from the top, left and right, sometimes dodging. Raxon would eventually shove him back in a move called a Guard Break, if he could remember from his instructors. Raxon slammed his shoulder into Quinn's chest, knocking the breath out of him and making him collapse to the dirt. "Winner!" someone shouted. _Dammit!_ Quinn thought as two soldiers helped him to his feet. _If he wins 2 more, I'm done. I've got to gain the upper hand!_

As Round 2 began, Quinn tried to use another tactic-which was probably the most important-Use Your Environment. He executed this perfectly as he kicked Raxon into a wall, stunning him. Raxon grunted as he fell. "Winner!" The score was now 1-1. During Round 3, Quinn's chest plate suffered a scratch, but he was again victorious. And finally, in Round 4, Quinn finished the duel by throwing Raxon to the ground and pinning his sword near Raxon's neck. Once the duel was over, Quinn helped Raxon up. "It would be an honor to fight by your side, Lord Warden." he said.

A week went by. Quinn was stationed at the castle wall, scanning the area for intruders. Scouts had reported the other day that Vikings had entered Ashfeld. Holden Cross had ordered Quinn and his group to defend the area, close to the border between Ashfeld and Valkenheim, home of the ruthless beasts. But so far Quinn had seen nothing but rabbits and deer. The yellow and green colors of the Iron Legion on his armor seemed to almost sparkle in the rain. "Anything?" someone said. He turned. It was Mercy, a former Blackstone like Holden, Raxon and Stone, a Conqueror general. She had a crossbow in her hands, which was loaded. "No. No sign of those beasts." Quinn responded, shaking his head. Too bad. Mercy looked like she was expecting a fight. "Wait…something just moved behind those bushes." "Could be a rabbit." Mercy said, shrugging. "No, too big." The figure poked its head out. A Viking! And he was alone, which made him an easy target. Mercy and Quinn nodded to each other as Mercy shot the invader. He made a small "urk" as he collapsed. "That must have been a scout." Quinn said. "Inform the general at once!" "On it." Mercy said as she took off running.

Within minutes, the entire fort was on high alert. Quinn could hear Viking siege machines in the distance and he could see catapults and a battering ram, one they must have stolen from the Blackstones, all weapons needed for a castle raid. Viking warriors banged axes on shields, raised their swords high and yelled "VALHALLA!" at the top of their mighty lungs. The battering ram lumbered into view with charging warriors on both sides of it. "Archers ready!" the general announced, his poleaxe in one arm. The archers and Mercy readied their weapons and aimed at the Vikings. "Fire!" The archers let loose a volley of arrows, striking either the ground, Viking shields or the warriors themselves. A Warlord and a Berserker went down screaming. Suddenly, three fireballs were launched form the forest from the catapults! "INCOMING!" Quinn yelled just before the first fireball hit a sentry tower, bringing it crashing to the ground. Soldiers scrambled to avoid the collapsing tower. "Shield Wall!" a voice boomed. Quinn turned back toward the Vikings, most of whom were advancing with shields clung together like a massive, moving circular wall. Arrows stuck to the wooden shields or occasionally found an opening in the wall. Their leader, a Raider, yanked an arrow form his chest and threw it to the muddy ground. The ram was in place now, ready to strike at the gate. The siege engines reached the castle walls, and Vikings leaped off yelling battle cries. Quinn charged at a Berserker, who fought with crazed fury and twin axes. Quinn shoved him off the wall and engaged Viking soldiers, his longsword smashing their shields with powerful, heavy strikes. Their swords slashed him and they hardly felt like scratches. The ram had suffered heavy damage but had broken the gate, with Vikings pouring in. Mercy slashed down a Valkyrie while a Conqueror bashed a Warlord's face in with his flail. As Quinn took down the last soldier from the group, he saw the Raider engaging the general, axe meeting axe. The Lawbringer was faltering. As he collapsed, the Raider roared with pain as the Conqueror shield-bashed him, followed by an overhead strike. The Raider then sent the Conqueror flying with one mighty swing from his dane axe.

Seeing the general in danger filled Quinn with horror. After all that had been lost today, he couldn't lose anyone else. With a battle cry, he charged the Raider and blocked the axe from impaling the general's chest. The Raider breathed heavily as he tried to overpower Quinn, but knowing that he couldn't block heavy strikes, Quinn dodged heavy attacks. Foot soldiers also engaged the Raider, but that proved to be their undoing. Quinn finally drove his sword through the Viking's heart with great force. "Welcome to Valhalla, beast." he whispered just before beheading the Raider.

When Quinn reached the courtyard, the Vikings were in full retreat. As Knights fought off the invaders, Quinn buried his sword hilt into a Valkyrie's shoulder. He then approached the general and helped him up. "Think they'll be back?" he asked. "Yes." The general replied, planting his poleaxe into the ground. "Those savages will never surrender." Beneath the helmet, Quinn smiled. "Then neither will we, General. For the Iron Legion."


	3. Born for Battle

Month 4 of the Faction War

Warborn Campsite

Valkenheim

Monsters. Savages. Tyrants. Beasts. That's what Vikings were called all throughout the land. And Norvar was sick of it all. Sure, Vikings did use rage and anger for strength in battle, but they were **not** monsters. Vikings once lived in peace! Although, to outsiders, this looked exactly like perpetual war.

Norvar sat at the campsite, sharpening his axes. Before the war, a great cataclysm struck the land. Lightning had decimated homes in mere seconds. (What had the Vikings done to make Thor so angry?) The earth broke apart. Lava shot up from the ground. Norvar had remembered that day so clearly. He and most Vikings were left homeless and starving. Vikings began to search for food and new homes. And that was when they met the Knights of Ashfeld and the Samurai of the Myre. They, too, had been affected severely by the disaster. The meet of all 3 factions…did not go well. Conflict broke out between them. The goal was to control most territories in the land. And yet, war had not been officially declared. At least, not until after Apollyon's death at the hands of a lone Samurai warrior. Then things had gotten hectic.

"Bloodthirsty as always, I see." A voice said. Helvar, servant of the Warborn Chief, sat beside him. "I just wish they would understand." Norvar sighed without looking up. "We're not savages. We're just like them." Helvar smirked. "It's not going to be easy to convince them." Deep inside, Norvar wanted to slaughter every one of the Knights and Samurai. The whole land would soon be under Warborn rule. But now, Norvar only wanted blood. A Shugoki had killed his father, and his mother lost to the cataclysm. "I was just here to tell you that the scout party has returned." Helvar informed him. "What did they find?" "A Samurai regiment. They'll be within Viking territory within the next day. Once they cross the border, we'll hit them hard. The Chief will join us." Norvar perked up. The Chief was legendary! He had come down from the mountains to unite the Warborn Clan. He had slaughtered the great Ragnar and Siv the Ruthless, leader of the Bearclaw Clan. But his finest accomplishment: launching a Great Raid against the Samurai, attacking the Imperial City and looting almost everything in sight. Norvar wished he could have been there. He would have killed every Samurai he laid eyes on. "Get some rest, kid." Helvar told him. "It's been a long day for your hunting party."

When morning came, Norvar was instructed to meet in the Great Hall, along with some other warriors. They would be the first (and hopefully last) line of defense against the Samurai attackers. He could feel Berserker fury building up inside him, waiting to be unleashed. He held twin axes at the ready. "WARRIORS!" The Chief boomed in the distance. "You will send this Samurai filth back to their swampland!" Vikings yelled and raised their weapons. "You will send them back, broken and beaten, kneeling and pleading before their Emperor!" More yells. "And when you go to Valhalla, you will take as many of them as you can with you!" A Valkyrie turned to Norvar, her mask off. "Do Samurai even go to Valhalla?" she asked. Norvar smirked. I've heard Runa ask the same thing. They probably do."

About an hour later, they were in position. "Let us praise the Allfather with our glory!" a Raider shouted. Viking archers aimed their bows at a clearing. The Chief breathed heavily beside his servants, Helvar and Runa. He clenched his dane axe tightly. Norvar focused on the snowy forest. Soon, figures in crimson came into view. Samurai! A soldier spotted the archers and yelled something to a Kensei a second before he was shot. The Kensei pointed his nodachi at the Vikings and yelled out a command. Norvar assumed it was "Charge!" because the Samurai were running at full speed towards them. "Stand fast!" someone shouted. The Vikings went into action, slicing through soldiers. A warrior from either side went down a few seconds apart. Shortly after Norvar decapitated a Nobushi, he froze. The same Shugoki who had killed his father was here, alongside the Kensei general. With a roar like an enraged bear, Norvar charged at him, twin axes cutting down soldiers and contacting Samurai shields. The Shugoki immediately acted swinging his kanabo full force, knocking Norvar to the snowy ground. He sprang up in time to see the Kensei stabbing a Valkyrie through her heart. The Chief was already engaging him. The Shugoki swung again. Norvar rolled to the side, the club slamming into the ground. With a yell, Norvar struck at the Shugoki from all sides in a blazing fury. A Warlord arrived and attacked, but the Shugoki shattered his shield with one blow, sending him flying. Once the Warlord hit the ground, a soldier sliced off his arm, then his head. Blood poured onto the snow.

The battle intensified as the confrontation continued. Norvar chopped the Shugoki's right leg, making him howl with pain. Finally, for the finishing blow, Norvar threw both axes into soldiers and twisted the Shugoki's head backwards, snapping his neck. The Chief then let out a mighty roar. Norvar turned to see the Kensei lying on his back, bleeding from multiple wounds. The remaining Samurai forces shouted at each other and retreated. Norvar's father, however, and been avenged. Norvar turned and walked back to the village, Viking and Samurai bodies lying at his feet. This day would be long remembered.


	4. The Bushido Code

Month 6 of the Faction War

Forest of Tranquility

The Myre

This was the perfect place for meditation. The place to forget about the horrors of the war. This was probably the last remaining location with peace. Leiwa closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her black hair and blue eyes glinting in the sunlight. Her staff lay on the grass beside her. Leiwa had about 10 minutes of meditation before she heard a rustling sound in the bushes. She waited. Her attacker sprang from the trees, katana drawn. Leiwa rolled to the side, grabbed her staff and smacked the attacker with the flat end. The attacker grunted and fell. Leiwa walked up and held out a hand. "You're getting better at this, Leiwa." "Only because I've spent more time here than you, Airi." Airi was an Orochi, the deadliest warrior in the Dawn Empire, and Leiwa's best friend. The two had known each other even before the war. "I see you have better reflexes than most Nobushis." She said. "Come on, let's get back to camp."

That night, Leiwa had an unusual dream. _She was walking through a burnt forest, heading towards a clearing in the distance. She was here because Daichi, the commander of a Samurai stronghold, sent her on a scouting mission on an isolated territory. If there were no Knight or Viking presences in the area, this land would belong to the Samurai. So far, Leiwa had seen only a Viking soldier, who she easily sent to the place the Vikings called "Valhalla". She squinted in the sunlight. Was that a clearing up ahead? Yes, yes it was! She moved into it… and gasped at what she saw. It was a battlefield containing bodies of all 3 armies. Most of the casualties were Samurai. To her left was a Shugoki with a spear through his heart, a Berserker who had a slash across his chest and a Warden's helmet with the head still inside. To her right, two crows were feasting on a Warlord with only one arm, an Orochi with one leg on top of a Knight archer, and a Lawbringer with his own poleaxe driven right through him. Leiwa scanned the battlefield for any survivors, friend and foe. There were none._

 _She saw a dead Orochi with an arrow through his heart. She moved closer to him… and froze with horror. She knew this boy. It was Ichiro, her brother. She remembered one day, he left with his regiment to a territory that was under attack by Knights… and never returned. Leiwa looked around. She saw more Samurai, all dead. Then she realized the truth. This war was ripping her people apart. And not just hers, but the residents of Ashfeld and Valkenheim, too. Suddenly, she heard a roar directly behind her. She whirled around to see a Raider slice her head clean off._

Leiwa woke up with a startled shout. Breathing heavily, she looked around. It had all been a dream, but the horrors were too real. Leiwa now had a new goal. She was going to end this…once and for all. She got up, picked up her staff and walked out of the room.

"Are you insane!?" Airi shouted, slamming her fist on the table. "There's no negotiating with those beasts!" "The war will bring an end to the Samurai if it's not going to end." Leiwa said, still a bit shaky from her dream. "And not just our people, but the entire land." "One, the Vikings are monsters. They won't listen to you! Two, neither of our enemies can speak or understand Japanese!" "I can speak their language, Takashi taught me. And I'm not going alone, Airi." Leiwa explained. "I'm taking Ayu with me." "And why is that? Ayu is one of our best commanders!" Airi asked. "She stopped a civil war before it even started! If someone can help me stop this, it's her. Do you even remember when she convinced Seijuro that Apollyon was using him?" Airi was silent. "I'm not living through this any longer. I'm ending this." Leiwa rose to her feet and walked out of the building, staff in hand.

Airi stared down at the map in front of her. Kunai- Samurai throwing knives- were stabbed into certain areas of the map. It was Daichi's orders given to his troops to either defend or attack those territories, depending on how many allied or enemy forces were in the region. So far, the Samurai had pushed through the volcano Ignis and had passed into Ashfeld. Airi wanted this war to end as much as Leiwa did, but negotiations wouldn't do. It was too late for that. But Leiwa still had hope left in her. "Be careful out there." Airi whispered softly.

2 weeks later, Leiwa returned with Ayu. She had found a lone Warden who had just lost his closest ally. The Warden's name was Quinn, and he too, was searching for a way to end the war. He and Leiwa were unable to find a Viking ally, as most of them had retreated from Ashfeld and The Myre. The two had talked about the cause of the war rather than an end. Apollyon. Despite her death, she got what she wanted. An "age of wolves", Quinn had told her. Leiwa had no idea what that meant. They agreed to meet again soon. "An age of wolves," Airi had said curiously. "Why does that sound familiar?"

Leiwa was now in a forest with her regiment with Daichi alongside her. She had privately told him about her plan, although it may take a while to end the war. Airi had been sent ahead as a scout, along with a Nobushi like Leiwa. Leiwa had been tasked to defend the camp if it came under attack. Nothing had happened so far. Then, a red firework shot up from the trees and exploded into red light. An alarm! Leiwa and Katsumi, a Shugoki, were sent to investigate. "Keep your guard up." Leiwa told him. Within minutes, the two found Airi, clutching a wound near her waist. Her Nobushi companion was dead. "Raider." Airi said weakly. "She ambushed us. I tried to fight her, but she was too strong. She killed Yui and escaped." "You're going to be all right, Airi." Katsumi said as he helped her up. "The Vikings are giving it all they've got now." Leiwa, however, was worried. She had almost lost her best friend. But this horrible conflict would end. Not today, not tomorrow, maybe not even next week, next month or next year, but one day…

12 days went by. The Samurai were now knocking at the Vikings' front gate. They had pushed into Valkenheim and were about to take the main Viking stronghold. Leiwa stood ready, now fearless after sparring with Airi, who- despite her wound- was proving she could handle herself. However, she would not be present here. Leiwa knew that she would only be the start of ending this war. Others would follow in her footsteps. 3 soldiers and an archer, all dressed in crimson like the rest of the Samurai to indicate an attack force, moved into position. Suddenly, a soldier screamed in pain as an arrow pierced his neck. The archer returned fire as Daichi gave the order to attack. Leiwa donned her Nobushi mask and charged with other Samurai. After regaining her spirit, these ordinary soldiers felt like family to her now. Like brothers and sisters she never thought she had. Within seconds, Vikings and Samurai clashed on the snowy fields with Leiwa cutting down those who came close to her. She broke away from the main field and retreated a few steps. She noticed a Warlord challenging her. Leiwa charged at him and sliced across his back. He did not let up. She blocked his attacks with supreme accuracy and kicked him back. "For the Emperor." She whispered as she yelled and sliced the Warlord's head right off his shoulders. An arrow then pierced her leg. Wincing, she yanked it out. A female Raider then stepped into view and charged at her. Leiwa knew she was probably going to die here, and if she was, she would go down fighting. Normally, she would be afraid of death, but knowing that the Samurai legacy would go on, she was not. She struck the Raider and made her bleed near the chest. After many blows and blocks, the Raider knocked Leiwa down. She smiled weakly as she thought of Ichiro, Airi, Ayu and Takashi. "Long live the Samurai." Those were her last words before the Raider brought her axe down upon her.

 **FOR HONOR IS NOW AVAILABLE IN STORES. CHOOSE YOUR FACTION, FIGHT TO CONTROL TERRITORIES AND LIVE YOUR OWN LEGACY!**


End file.
